Basic Research on Natural Products
Utilizing state-of-the-art techniques in molecular biology, genetics, and pharmacology, we are attempting to understand how natural herbal medicines function in the treatment of human diseases. Both in vivo and in vitro models are used to evaluate the biological activity, and elucidate the molecular modes of action of several commercially available and ethnobotanically relevant herbal preparations.
The effects of commercially available Hawthorne preparations on an in vitro cardiovascular disease model (Marcus McFerren, PhD)
Hawthorne flower Crataegus spp. preparations are used in the treatment of cardiac neurasthenia, autonomic circulatory disturbance, and arrhythmia. This study evaluates the effects of Hawthorne preparations on norepinephrine release from cardiac-sympathetic nerve terminals before, during, and after induced acute myocardial ischemia.
Neuropharmacology of herbal local anaesthetics (Marcus McFerren, Ph.D.)
Plants from a wide taxonomic base are used in the management of acute localized pain. We have found that a large number of ethnomedically important species used for this reason contain isobutyl-amides, a chemical class we have shown to have partial agonist properties at the voltage gated sodium channel. Current studies evaluate the neuropharmacological effects of these compounds on intracellular calcium flux, a signal for neuronal synaptic vesicle docking.
Effects of Various Components of Green Tea (Lorraine Gudas, Ph.D.)
Green tea is believed to possess cancer preventive effects. These studies evaluate the effects of Green tea preparations on human squamous cell carcinoma cell lines. Additional studies are being planned to evaluate the effects of putative traditional Chinese anticancer preparations using an epithelial head and neck tumor model in the rat.
The Cucubitacae: A potential source of novel protease inhibitors (Andrea Basso, PhD)
It is well understood that members of the cucumber family have evolved to resist rotting for extended periods of time due to the presence of protease inhibitors. In this study, the protease inhibiting properties of several species are being evaluated for their ability to inhibit medically important pathogen proteases.
